ZnO-modified glass capillaries as a portable photocatalytic reactor for real-time measurements

Abstract

Here, we have developed a photocatalytic reactor using glass capillaries which acts both as a flow cell and a thin film-supported photocatalyst due to the Zinc Oxide (ZnO) nanostructures grown on the inner surface of the glass capillaries. The structural, morphological, elemental, and optical characteristics of the ZnO nanostructures were investigated through characterization methods such as x-ray diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Energy-Dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDAX), UV–Visible spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. Further, dye-sensitized ZnO nanostructures were used for photocatalytic application under visible light irradiation. A custom-made setup is developed using ZnO-modified glass capillaries for simultaneous decay and measurement of the dye degradation process under visible LED light. This developed model could have future technological applications in designing portable photocatalytic reactors that can accurately monitor the dye degradation process using real-time measurements.